if you haven’t tried making vegan chick’n and dumplings yet, this is your sign to do it! a dish that is pure comfort for those chilly nights.
The traditional dish of chicken and dumplings is very popular in the US, especially in the south and midwest. Every family recipe prepares it a bit differently, my version is a thicker soup that is almost maybe even more stew like. Instead of chicken to make it vegan this vegan chick’n and dumplings uses soy curls. Of course it is filled with the staple of the fluffy dumplings.
What Are the Dumplings Like?
If you’ve never had vegan chick’n and dumplings (or any dumplings) you may be wondering what the texture of the dumplings is. They are essentially drop biscuits and pillowy bites of boiled dough. The dough is made from all purpose flour, non-dairy milk, baking powder, vegan butter, and salt. You just mix it up until it forms a sticky dough and then drop them into the broth. They simmer and puff up. They also help to thicken up the soup because they will absorb the broth.
Tips for Making Fluffy Dumplings
I’ll be honest one of my fears when making vegan chick’n and dumplings is the dumplings coming out dense. So, here are a few tricks to ensure they do come out fluffy and light in the middle like they should. Also, sometimes you do get one or two that come out dense and doughy instead of fluffy and light. Just don’t eat them.
- Don’t over-mix. Just like any dough, if you over-mix it can result in dense, overworked dough, so just combine until the sticky dough has been formed.
- Stir occasionally. While you cook them you do want to keep the pot covered it is good to give them a gentle stir to make sure nothing is getting stuck to the bottom.
- Use a large enough pot. The dumplings need room to float and bounce around, so make sure they have the space.
- Add in more liquid if necessary. If in the boiling process when making the broth, you lose a lot of liquid you can always add in another cup of water to ensure there is enough liquid in the pot.
More Comfort Food Recipes
Vegan Chick’n Choices
For this recipe I use soy curls. You can either purchase them on Amazon, the Butler’s website, or look on the Butler’s website for the store locator. If you don’t want to use soy curls you can also use a vegan chick’n like Daring or Sweet Earth Foods in here as well. Alternatively, you can always leave it out and use beans or tofu.
Vegan Chick’n and Dumplings FAQ
- Is this recipe gluten free? No. If you would like to substitute in a gluten free 1:1 all purpose flour like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur it should work. I haven’t tried this so I can’t speak to it myself.
- Is this recipe nut free? Yes, as long as you use a nut-free vegan butter and nut-free plant milk.
- Is this recipe soy free? No. However, you can swap the soy curls for something else if you like.
- Can I add in other veggies? Traditionally, it is only made with carrots, onions, and celery. I wouldn’t add in any other veggies but if you really want to of course you can.
- How long does this last? Up to 3 days in the fridge. When reheating the soup may turn very thick you may want to add a splash of water.
- Can you freeze it? Yes, just reheat on the stove.
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Vegan Chick’n and Dumplings
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 ½ tablespoons (22ml) olive oil
- 2 carrots chopped (about 100g)
- 2 celery ribs chopped (about 80g)
- ¼ sweet onion chopped (about 50g)
- 1 tablespoons (14g) vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons (30g) Better than Bouillon vegetable base
- 6 cups (1420ml) warm water
- ⅓ cup (40g) all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (60g) soy curls
- ¼ cup (10g) fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Dumplings
- 2 cups (240g) all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (14g) baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (180ml) non-dairy milk, unsweetened and unflavored
- 2 tablespoons (28g) vegan butter, melted
Instructions
- In a large pot sauté the carrots, onions, and carrots in the olive oil for 7 to 10 minutes over medium low heat until fragrant and the onions are translucent. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the vegetables as well.
- Add in the vegan butter and cook until melted down. Sprinkle the ⅓ cup of flour over the veggies and mix with a spatula or spoon until the flour has absorbed the oil and vegan butter.
- Start to slowly add the broth. Start by slowly adding ¼ cup (60ml) or less at a time. Pour in and then mix until the liquid has been absorbed by the flour. Repeat this up to 6 to 8 times until it forms a thick liquid. Then you can add he remaining broth in mix. If you need help with this step watch the youtube video.
- Add the soy curls and parsley in. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, prepare the dumpling dough. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Mix together. Then add in the non-dairy milk and melted vegan butter. Gently, mix the dough with a spoon until it has formed a sticky dough. Do not over-mix just until it comes together and there is no more dry flour.
- Scoop about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons (about 30g) of the dough into the pot to make your dumplings. If too much broth has boiled out and the dumplings don’t have enough depth to float add in more liquid. Once all the dough is scooped in cover with a vented lid and simmer over medium low heat for 15 minutes. Stirring occasionally to help the dumplings not clump.
- The dumplings should be fluffy and look like a dry biscuit inside when you cut into them.
- Allow the soup to cool off for 10 to 15 minutes before serving as it will be very hot. Taste and add any other seasonings accordingly. Enjoy.
Video
Notes
- This recipe has been adapted from my cookbook Plantiful, DO NOT repost this recipe anywhere without my permission.
- If you do not want to use Better than Bouillon, you can use 6 cups of veggie broth or a veggie bouillon cube.
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Looks really good. I would like to use soy curls, but have not been able to find them in any grocery store and I live in a major metropolitan area. Any advice, besides buying on Amazon? Where do you buy them from?
hi Valerie thank you so much. hope you enjoy yes i covered that in the vegan chicken choice section! i get them from amazon, but the brand is butler’s food so you can check out their website to order from them
AMAZING! This recipe is so tasty and it came together so quick. Dumplings always intimidated me but this couldn’t have been easier. It was all so creamy and indulgent. Perfect meal for the rainy fall day we’re having and I know I’ll be making it again soon.
Hi Sara!!! Yay!!! Thank you so much for trying it. I know it is raining here too and I am just thinking how badly I wish I had a bowl of this haha. thank you for taking the time to make it and leave a review/comment xo
I’m so excited to try this tonight! Thank you so much for the recipe, it’s a classic fall dish that I’ve missed.
hi Crysti! yay I hope you enjoyed it!!
This was crazy good! Flavours and textures were amazing together. Dumplings turned out better than expected too. Very pleased with this recipe. Thanks for posting. Tbh I’m still thinking about it a week later. So very good!
Hi Seth!! oh yay I am so so glad! thank you so much for making it and thank you for taking the time to leave a comment/review!!!
If I am making these during the day – how do I start it until dinner?
OMG!! This was sooooo good! I’m not crazy about soups but I tried this anyway because I figured I could add stuff to make it more like a stew. So not as you intended but it worked well for my needs.
First, I made it easier by getting Mire Poix mix at Whole Foods (diced onion, celery, carrot) so I didn’t have to do all that chopping. Then, I added frozen cauliflower, frozen peas, and potatoes cut into cubes. Also added tofu cut into cubes. Turned out delicious!
The dumplings didn’t work out so well for me. Its probably my fault.
Overall, a satisfying meal though. Already planning the next time I’ll be making it. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Hi Mary!!! Oh yay I’m so glad you enjoyed it overall. I’m sorry to hear about the dumplings not coming out right though. The best tips is to not overmix and make sure you have a really big pot for room for them to float while they boil! 💕💕💕
This recipe is great. Simple, fast, and so comforting. A yummy Sunday meal.
Hi Diane! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment/review on the blog!! means so much and so glad you enjoyed them xo
Need advice, something went wrong with the dumplings. They are very dense and and gummy. A quick search says either I overworked the dough, or had a too-high ratio of flour to liquid. I actually added more liquid because 3/4 cup was NOT enough, and I probably did overwork the dough a bit trying to incorporate the flour.
Hi Tonia. So, it does sound like you may have already addressed your own problem with the overworking of the dough. I make this recipe almost once a week in our house. I have never had an issue with 3/4 cup of the non-dairy milk not being enough. One thing to note if you are using measuring cups to measure out the dry ingredients there is always a chance of scooping too much flour. If you decide to try this again I would love to see you use a kitchen scale and the gram measurements as it really is the most accurate way to make a dough and how I always do it.
Made this. lOVED it! Followed your directions exactly and it was so quick and easy. Turned out perfect.
Yay I am so glad you enjoyed Jen. Thank you for trying it and taking the time to leave a comment/review!
So delicious, filling and comforting! It was easy to make too! I added some garlic, thyme and poultry seasoning.
Hi Gia! aw yay I am so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for taking the time to make it and leave a comment/review xoxo
Wow, just wow. Chicken and dumplings is such a treasured dish for me because it was one of my favorite dishes my mom would make. The epitome of comfort food. I thought going plant based would mean I’d have to give up recreating this dish. Until today. This hit all the notes for me!! It brought back such memories! Thank you so much for this lovely recipe. And P.S. I totally related to when you told the story in the video of your BF wanting just the dumplings! He’s not wrong!! 😅
Hi Lisa!!! awwww I am so so so glad to hear this. truly my favorite part about creating recipes is the nostalgia it can bring up for people. Hahaha!!! He really does love the dumplings so much, but they definitely are the best part. Thank you for the kind words and leaving a review/comment!